Old Friend, New Friend
by ninjanervana
Summary: One-shot. What if the Doctor found out the Face of Boe's true identity? Why does the Doctor feel like he knows him? DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED SEASON 3 FINALE. I do not own anything.


I do not own the Doctor in any of his magnificent and wonderful forms (not that you could own the Doctor, but wouldn't that be something?) nor am I affiliated with the show in any way. I just write fanfiction.

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"Face of Boe, what are you still doing here?" the Doctor asked as he walked through the hospital ward, making sure all the patients had been removed. After the police finally arrived to arrest the nuns and he traveled back in time with Rose and Cassandra, the Doctor and Rose were left rounding up the patients and organizing transportation for them when they returned. The place was a bit of a madhouse at the moment.

"Yes, Doctor, I am still here," the large head replied, smiling slightly. "Always here."

"Do you need some help being moved from the hospital? I could arrange it for you," the Doctor offered. "I'm sure there's a teleport somewhere around here. You're looking much better than when I saw you earlier."

"I shall be fine to travel on my own; I have chosen not to leave yet."

"Why not?" the Doctor questioned, walking over to him. He crouched down in front of the tank, placing his hand on the glass. He frowned as he looked at the Face of Boe; he felt as if there was something tugging the back of his memory, but he couldn't latch onto it for some reason. It was incredibly irritating; nine hundred years of time provided you with far too many ideas. "You know, I can't shake the feeling that I've met you before. I mean I have met you before, Rose and I met you before-"

"Rose Tyler," the Face of Boe said, an unmistakable smile on his lips as if he had a wonderful secret he was keeping.

"Yes, Rose and I met you in the year five billion remember? We were there to watch the Earth's apocalypse and Cassandra attempted to have everyone on board killed," the Doctor answered. "She always was a bit wonky in the head I suppose, but she didn't start out like that. I suppose time changes people."

"Time changes everyone, Doctor. Even you time has changed."

"Isn't that the truth?" the Doctor said, smiling. "The last time I saw you I looked nothing like this. I was bald. I had big ears. But that was before my regeneration. You wouldn't know me in this body, but I know I know you. I know you beyond that one occasion, but I can't figure it out and it's absolutely maddening." The Doctor sat on the floor in front of the tank, his legs folded in front of him as he rested his elbows on his knees, looking intently at the Face of Boe. "I've traveled all of time and space and yet I've never had this feeling before. Boe, do I know you?"

The Face of Boe smiled, happy to have his old friend seated in front of him, even if he was a new friend at the moment. Time travel could make things confusing. "Yes, Doctor. You know me and I know you and Rose Tyler."

"I knew it!" the Doctor exclaimed, smacking his thigh in excitement. "I knew it! But how do I know you? And Rose knows you too? But that's impossible. I think I'd remember a huge head floating in a tank, no offense."

"When you knew me, I did not look like this," he answered. "Just like when I first met you, you did not look like that."

"I don't understand," the Doctor said, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What do you mean? Did you have a different form?"

"I have watched you dance with Rose Tyler," the Face of Boe answered.

"What?" the Doctor replied, completely confused. "I've never danced with Rose before."

"Your current form did not dance with her, but your past form did. I watched you dance with Rose Tyler in London inside of the TARDIS," he replied.

"But that's impossible. I've only ever danced with Rose once and the only person there was…" the Doctor trailed off, his eyes widening in shock. "JACK! You're Jack! Captain Jack Harkness!" the Doctor exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "But you can't be Jack! Jack's a human; there's no way he could have lived this long. It's impossible."

"There are a great many things in this universe that are considered impossible, Doctor, and yet they happen," the Face of Boe answered. "I have not been called Jack Harkness in many centuries. But it is I."

"Jack," the Doctor said, a smile spreading across his face as he placed his hand against the tank again. That was why the Face of Boe seemed so familiar; his looks may have changed dramatically, but at his core he was still the same Jack he and Rose met. Captain Jack Harkness, fellow time traveler.

"Doctor," the Face of Boe answered. "It is good to see you again, old friend. It has been quite a long time."

"I'm sure it has," the Doctor answered, his hand rubbing against the glass of the tank. "Wait till Rose finds out; she won't believe it."

"Rose cannot know who I am," he replied. "She can never know."

"Time continuum problems huh?" the Doctor guessed. "Time can be a tricky thing, but I suppose it's for the best. How did you end up like this anyway? How is it possible that you're still alive millions of years later?"

"Our friend, Rose Tyler, is a brilliant woman," the Face of Boe answered cryptically.

"Rose did this? But how?"

"I would tell you if I could, Doctor, but I cannot risk changing the future," he replied. "You will come to understand in the future."

"If you say so," the Doctor replied. "God, I still can't believe that you're Jack. Cocky, show off, "Hello, I'm Captain Jack Harkness" Jack. I'm a bit surprised you didn't introduce yourself like that today. It feels like just yesterday we were in London during the bombings."

"And just that one time, everyone lived," the Face of Boe answered, smiling at him.

"Yes, that time everyone lived," the Doctor echoed. "Hey we're all alive now too, you, me, Rose. We all lived; I regenerated but technically I didn't die."

"Yes, we have all lived. I have lived well knowing that you lived, Doctor," the Face of Boe said. "You change people, Doctor. And I have a feeling you will change me again when we meet one more time."

"Wait, where are you going?" the Doctor questioned. "I only just found out who you are."

"My time in these events has come to a close; I have served my purpose in this hospital," the Face of Boe replied. "Do not be discouraged, Doctor. We will meet again one day. And when we do meet, I will have a message to give you."

"Why don't you just tell me now?" the Doctor asked, standing up.

"You are not prepared for it now. It will have to wait. Take care of Rose Tyler. Until we meet again, Doctor," the Face of Boe said, smiling one last time before teleporting away.

"Until we meet again, Jack," the Doctor replied, smiling as he turned away from the empty space, going in search of Rose. This time, everyone lived too.

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So how was my first Doctor Who fic? Reviews please!


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